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Yogi kicks up huge storm with namaz, azaan remark

News Network
August 17, 2017

Lucknow, Aug 17: Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath has kicked up a huge storm by making a reference to offering 'namaz' (prayers) on the roads and comparing it with 'Kanwar Yatra' (carrying of pitchers filled with Ganga waters for offering at Shiva temples) and 'Janmashtami' celebrations inside police stations.

''If I cannot stop offering of namaz on the roads then I have no right to ban playing of loud music during Kanwar yatra and Janmashtami celebrations inside the police stations,'' Adityanath said while speaking at a function here on Thursday evening.

The previous Akhilesh Yadav government had imposed a ban on celebrating 'Janmashtami' inside the police stations and also on playing loud music during the 'Kanwar yatras'.

''Is it a funeral procession?...I asked the officials when I was told that playing loud music was banned during Kanwar Yatra,'' the chief minister said.

He said he told the officials that if it was the case then the use of loudspeakers should be banned everywhere, apparently referring to the 'azan' (call before the prayers) from the mosques. 

Adityanath, who was known for toeing 'hardline Hindutva', said those, the people were branded communal if they uttered 'garva se kaho hum Hindu hain' (say with pride that we are Hindus).

He also defended his government's decision to ban ''illegal'' slaughterhouses in the state saying that it had been done following the orders from National Green Tribunal and Supreme Court.

Apparently upset with the media coverage of the recent tragedy in Gorakhpur Medical College, the chief minister also attacked the media and asked it to do ''self-introspection''.

Adityanath's remarks drew sharp criticism from the Muslim clerics and the opposition parties.

''It is wrong to make comparisons between practices in different religions.....it will only create division between the people,'' said a senior Muslim cleric here on Thursday.

Samajwadi Party (SP) also decried the remarks and termed them as a ''ploy to divert attention'' from the government's failures on the law and order and other fronts.

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Agencies
August 6,2020

Mumbai, Aug 6: Former Reserve Bank of India governor Raghuram Rajan said on Thursday that overly focusing on what sovereign rating agencies think can take one's eyes off what needs to be done for the economy.

"It is also important to convince both domestic and international investors that after the crisis associated with the pandemic is over, we will return to fiscal responsibility over the medium term, and the government should do more to convince them of that," Rajan told the Global Markets Forum.

India was placed under one of the strictest lockdowns in the world in late March for more than two months to stem the spread of the coronavirus, but cases have continued to rise steadily since the government eased restrictions in June, stymieing hopes of an economic recovery.

The government has announced several initiatives to help the poor and small- and medium-size businesses, but actual cash outgo from the government's measures has been estimated at just about 1% of GDP.

Several attribute the fiscal prudence to fear of a downgrade after Moody's cut India's rating and outlook in early June followed closely by a change in outlook from Fitch.

The central bank on its part too has reduced the key lending rate by 115 basis points on top of the 135 bps last year and is widely expected to cut rates by another 25 bps later on Thursday.

"The RBI and government have certainly been cooperating, but it seems like it is elsewhere, the ball is in the government's court to do more," Rajan said.

He said the RBI needs to focus on whether credit is reaching the stressed areas of the economy and also if the viable firms were able to access credit and not the unviable ones.

"And I think that's where it has to focus its attentions, because resources, as you well know, are limited in India today."

Recently analysts, however, have cited the growing possibility the RBI may prefer to pause and cut rates only at its October meeting.

Government officials too have suggested the possibility of any more fiscal stimulus being announced, would only come in the second half of the fiscal year, once a recovery has taken root and coronavirus cases have peaked.

"What India should focus on at this point is protecting its economic capabilities, so that when it has dealt with the virus it can go resume activity in a reasonable way. That should be the focus," Rajan said.

"And if it does that, there is no reason why the rating agencies will not see that as an appropriate policy".

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News Network
February 11,2020

New Delhi, Feb 11: Celebrations broke out at the AAP headquarters here as early vote-counting trends for the Delhi Assembly polls on Tuesday showed a comfortable victory for the Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal-led party.

The headquarters were decorated with blue and white balloons and big cut-outs of Kejriwal were placed in different parts of the party office.

"We knew it. We have changed the politics of this country. Now it is Delhi, next is India," said Sanjeev Singh, a party volunteer from Hari Nagar.

Another volunteer Fareen Khan said, "We hope we get such a clear majority that a message goes out that doing Hindu-Muslim politics will not work anymore."

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is leading in 26 seats while the BJP is leading in 14 seats, according to early trends by the Election Commission.

According to the EC's website, AAP convenor Kejriwal is leading in his New Delhi constituency.

Kejriwal reached the party office as the counting of votes got underway.

Counting centres are spread across 21 locations, spanning 70 constituencies.

Polling for the 70-member Delhi Assembly was held on Saturday.

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News Network
March 5,2020

Lucknow, Mar 5: Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath said last night that the role of teachers would come under the scanner when "anti-India" slogans are raised at universities and institutions of higher education.

"When anti-India slogans are raised at institutions of higher education, we should be prepared to ask why this type of distortion occurrs among our students?" he said at a programme organised by the Basic Shiksha Parishad in Lucknow.

"We begin our work with pledge for the country's unity and integrity and today slogans are raised for the division of the nation. In such a situation, questions are raised over the role of teachers who are considered equal to god in society," he said.

"Who all are involved in this sin and chaos? Governments can provide resources, but the one who has given them basic education, who has given them secondary education and who has led them to that place, all of them should evaluate their actions today," the chief minister said.

Speaking about the condition of education in the state when his government came to power three years ago, he said there was an atmosphere of chaos and anarchy in the state and the condition of basic education was very bad.

"The worst problem was that of proxy teachers. Our government started the process of prohibiting proxy teachers in the first phase," he said.

Adityanath said that a teacher is not just a government servant, but the fate of the nation. He said teachers should learn from Chanakya.

Had Chanakya confined himself to Nalanda University, he would not have been able to make India a superpower of the world during that period. Teachers will have to prepare themselves according to the challenges and need of society, he added.

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